Sports, Ethics and Religion-01 (FA14)

11/14/14 2:40 AM

Sports, Ethics and Religion-01 (FA14)

Jump to Today

Course Description
A survey of the origins and development of the culture of athletic competition in America, with roots in the Greek athletic
ideal and in the Muscular Christianity movement of nineteenth-century England. Well examine the peculiar (religious?)
passion that Americans invest in sports as well as the role that sports has played as an engine for social change. We
look, finally, at some of the ethical issues surrounding organized sports.
Textbooks
Borer, Michael Ian. Faithful to Fenway: Believing in Boston, Baseball, and Americas Most Beloved Ballpark. New York:
New York University Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0814799772, $21.00.
Giamatti, A. Bartlett. Take Time for Paradise: Americans and their Games. Foreword by Jon Meacham. New York:
Bloomsbury, 1989. ISBN: 978-1-60819-224-3, $15.00.
Naismith, James. Basketball: Its Origin and Development. Edited by William J. Baker. Lincoln: University of Nebraska
Press, 1996. ISBN: 0-8032-8370-9, $15.95.
Price, Joseph L., ed. From Season to Season: Sports as American Religion. Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 2001.
ISBN: 0-86554-694-0, $25.00.
Sexton, John. Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game. New York: Gotham Books, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-59240864-1, $17.00.
St. John, Warren. Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Journey into the Heart of Fan Mania. New York: Broadway Books,
2005. ISBN: 978-0609807132, $15.00.
Textbooks are on reserve in Baker-Berry Library and are available for purchase at Wheelock Books and the Dartmouth
Bookstore.
Grades & Grading
In addition to attendance and informed participation in class discussions (45 points), you will be given a mid-term and final
examination (60 points each). The class includes three ethical debates; by the end of the second week of class, you will
sign up for one side or another in each of the debates (the instructor reserves the right to adjust membership in the teams
so that they are roughly equal in size). You will prepare your argument with other members of your team and write it up
(4-5 pages); on the day of the debate, each side will have 50 minutes to present its case, using whatever devices its
chooses (arguments, statistics, video, etc.). Every member of the debate team will receive the same grade, an incentive
for teamwork (similar to team sports). Possible 65 points for each debate. The final assignment (55 points) is a book
review (5-7 double-spaced pages).
Course Policies (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/pages/Course%20Policies?titleize=0)

https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334

Page 1 of 3

Sports, Ethics and Religion-01 (FA14)

11/14/14 2:40 AM

Date

Details

Tue Sep 16, 2014

Introduction & Lecture: Ray Rice

Wed Sep 17, 2014

X-Hour

Thu Sep 18, 2014

Lectures: Greek Ideal; Muscular Christianity; Muscular Christians

10am to 11:50am

Tue Sep 23, 2014

Lectures: Origins of Baseball; Baseball at the Movies

10am to 11:50am

Wed Sep 24, 2014

X-Hour

Thu Sep 25, 2014

Lecture & Discussion: Symbolism of Baseball; Baseball as Religion

10am to 11:50am

Tue Sep 30, 2014

Planning for Debates

10am to 11:50am

Wed Oct 1, 2014

X-Hour

Thu Oct 2, 2014

Lectures: Origins of Football; Symbolism of Football; Professional Football

10am to 11:50am

Tue Oct 7, 2014

Lectures: Origins of Basketball; Symbolism of Basketball

10am to 11:50am

Wed Oct 8, 2014

X-Hour

Thu Oct 9, 2014

First Debate: Should College Athletes be Compensated?

10am to 11:50am

Tue Oct 14, 2014

Lectures: Homecoming; Origins of Hockey; Mascots & Nicknames

10am to 11:50am

Wed Oct 15, 2014

X-Hour

3pm to 3:50pm

Mon Oct 20, 2014

Mid-term Examination (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/18918)

due by 1:55pm

Tue Oct 21, 2014

Lectures: Spectacle as Religion; Fans as Fanatics

Wed Oct 22, 2014

X-Hour

Thu Oct 23, 2014

Second Debate: Should Team Mascots and Nicknames be Politically Correct?

10am to 11:50am

Tue Oct 28, 2014

Lectures: Women into the Game; Sports & Upward Mobility

10am to 11:50am

Wed Oct 29, 2014

X-Hour

Thu Oct 30, 2014

Lectures: Sabbatarian Scruples; Sports & Money

Tue Nov 4, 2014

Book Review (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/19939)

Wed Nov 5, 2014

X-Hour

Thu Nov 6, 2014

Third Debate: Should Taxpayers Fund Sports Venues?

10am to 11:50am

Tue Nov 11, 2014

Lectures: Stadium as Sacred Space; Sports & Religious Identity; All for Allah

10am to 11:50am

Wed Nov 12, 2014

X-Hour

Thu Nov 13, 2014

Lecture: Sports & Violence

10am to 11:50am

Tue Nov 18, 2014

Lectures: Sports & Social Change; Sporting Events & Proselytization

10am to 11:50am

10am to 11:50am
3pm to 3:50pm

3pm to 3:50pm

3pm to 3:50pm

3pm to 3:50pm

10am to 11:50am
3pm to 3:50pm

3pm to 3:50pm
10am to 11:50am
due by 11:50am
3pm to 3:50pm

3pm to 3:50pm

Clickers 10-14-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/24841)

Clickers 10-2-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/23956)
Clickers 10-21-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/25583)
Clickers 10-23-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/25901)
Clickers 10-28-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/26553)
Clickers 10-30-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/26174)
Clickers 10-7-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/24421)
Clickers 10-9-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/24549)
https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334

Page 2 of 3

Sports, Ethics and Religion-01 (FA14)

11/14/14 2:40 AM

Clickers 10-9-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/24549)

Clickers 11-11-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/26866)
Clickers 11-13-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/27074)
Clickers 11-6-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/26557)
Clickers 9-23-2014 (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/23293)
Final Examination (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/19940)
Team Debates (https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334/assignments/23296)

https://canvas.dartmouth.edu/courses/4334

Page 3 of 3